


the kids are alright.

by beemblebummed



Series: i'm still here - the story of Cloud Strife [3]
Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, FF7, FFVII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Trans Character, Trans Cloud, Trans Male Character, Trans Zack, trans!Cloud, trans!Zack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 12:53:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7977427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beemblebummed/pseuds/beemblebummed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>IM A SLUT FOR THIS KIND OF FLUFF. cloud and zack talk to each other and things are put out in the open definitely for the better. fluffy trans clack</p>
            </blockquote>





	the kids are alright.

**Author's Note:**

> triggers/squicks  
> \- pda??  
> \- light mentions of drinks/food

“Hey, Cloud, you awake?”

 

Those words ensure such, and I shoot up, nearly smacking face-first into my first actual friend since I had joined Shinra, Zack. His blue eyes are alight with mischief and excitement, the smile on his face small but not hiding any of the delight he obviously feels. He sits right in front of me, situated sturdily on his knees with his hands coming to rest tentatively on my knees. Of course, I trust him enough that it doesn’t bother me, but he’s always been careful about my personal space.

 

I can’t even be mad at him for waking me up, but to make sure he doesn’t know that, I grumble and start rubbing my face.

 

“I am _now_ ,” I say with as much annoyance as I can muster in my sleep-addled, sincerely happy state. “At this hour, what could you possibly need?”

 

I practically shut down when Zack’s gentle hand finds its way to my face, carefully sliding my loose blonde bangs out of the way. Once he’s skillfully tucked them behind my ear, I clear my throat and altogether avoid looking him in the eye. He seems amused by this and snickers quietly, ultimately beginning to ruffle my hair anyway.

 

“What was that for?” I demand, swatting at his hand, whether I wanted him to stop or not…

 

“You look as harmless as a baby cat with your hair all loose like that,” he replies teasingly, tilting his head. “You gotta pull off my style— scary as can be, no matter what state you’re in.”

 

At that, I scoff. “Zack, you have a baby face. You’re not even scary when you have your sword.”

 

He pouts in response, hanging his head dramatically. “You’re such a _meanie_ , Cloud… I can’t believe you would be so cruel to me, your bestest friend, your soul mate, your true love…!”

 

I climb out of bed, stepping into my pants that lie crumpled on the floor and then tugging them up over my legs. Once they’re fastened, I grab a hoody I brought from home and pull it over my head, reaching for the other one and then throwing it at Zack. Trying to mask a smile, I give him the worst glare I can manage at the moment.

 

“’Bestest’ isn’t a word, I don’t believe in soul mates, and we aren’t dating,” I tell him, my unimpressed grin showing through now.

 

Zack gets up off my bed and follows suit, pulling my hoody over his torso and then stuffing his hands into the pockets, that grin ever-present on his face. “We aren’t dating _yet._ ”

 

Here is when I want to think _oh my god he’s gay or bi or something that isn’t straight_ but what happens is I start thinking _oh my god he’s straight and he thinks I’m a girl._ I clear my throat again and shake my head, muttering a quiet ‘you’re an idiot’ before heading out of my dorm. Zack and I don’t share one, but he sneaks in enough that if people knew how much he does, they would definitely think something was going on.

 

The other boy follows after me, falling in step at my side as we navigate the dimly lit corridors, I myself heading to the mess hall for a drink, and the intents Zack had unclear. He doesn’t really say anything as we make for that section, but every now and again I look over, and it seems he’s thinking about something, thinking really hard. Even after we depart the mess hall, both of us now holding a decaf coffee apiece, he doesn’t say _anything_ , really. He hasn’t said anything since we left my room, other than ‘I’ll take what he’s having.’ I’m starting to get worried, but then, as I start to wander down one corridor, Zack gently takes hold of my sleeve and starts leading me down the opposite way, towards the outside area of the building’s premises. Here, one can get into a small apply orchard and garden. It’s a small enclosed place, but the more outdoorsy or earth-loving people can get some fresh air and enjoy their surroundings.

 

Zack had never shown any interest in the gardens, but I did hear from Angeal once that Zack had done well in a simple, for fun only constellation-naming contest Genesis had held a while back. Maybe he wants to look at the stars? Why with _me_ , though?

 

Once we step through the door into the little area, Zack’s hand slips down from my sleeve to loosely take hold of my hand. I’m thankful now that it’s even darker than it had been before, my face probably red as can be once I realize what he’s doing. He leads me to the center of the area, where the sky is clear and the trees don’t block it out. I assume he’s holding onto my hand the way he is in case I need to take it away, but I adore that he’s touching me like that at all. I’ve always wondered what it was like to like someone this way, and have it clearly reciprocated, at least to some degree; maybe Zack is that person.

 

“Look up, Cloud.”

 

I hadn’t been looking at anything in particular, just my feet, really, but at his words, I comply. The sky above our heads is _gorgeous_ , and I try to take in all of it that I can; the way the stars twinkle, the clusters of tiny glows, the stardust enclosing paths of those far-off celestial bodies…. It’s incredible. I had always adored the stars, but I never gave it as much time and thought as other things.

 

“Whoa,” I whisper, blinking.

 

He doesn’t say anything for a bit, and then, just barely, I hear him mumble, “Can I tell you something cheesy, Cloud?”

 

“Um….” My words don’t seem to want to work, so I look away from the sky, and focus on him. “I… I guess?”

 

Zack smiles, and soon enough, looks at me as well. “I…. well… I like you. A-a lot, honestly, ehe…. And, um, I was out here— looking at the stars the other night— ‘n it occurred to me, b-because I saw… one of them flicker out, that, like… nothing is forever. Not even the most powerful, immortal-seeming things.”

 

I just stare at him, silent.

 

“Nothing lasts forever, everyone has a clock ticking away,” he continues, more embarrassed than I had ever seen him before. “And I…. I wanted to a-ask you if you would…. go on a date with me?”

 

For a moment, everything is perfect— the guy I’ve been crushing on since what feels like forever, my best friend, the only person I trust right now with my life, with my everything, all my secrets— _likes me back_. And he wants to date me. What do I even say? What do I do? I don’t know how to answer, how to tell him _yes,_ how to tell him I feel the same way.

 

“Z-Z-Zack, I-I’m— b-but I… I gotta tell you something, i-it’s so-something about me,” I stutter out, not even able to stop myself before I start. “I… I-I’m n-not— I-I-I wa-was born a _girl_.”

 

He pauses, and then he frowns, brows knitting together. “Whoa, whoa, wait… y…you’re _trans_?”

 

My heart leaps into my throat at that, and I just nod, unable to say a bit of anything else. I wait, holding my breath, terrified, not sure what to think, as I look him in the eye and wait for him to retract his proposal, wait for him to look at me like I’m a gross thing. It’s almost enough to make me start crying, but I try my hardest to remain strong in this situation. God, he would be the first person I’ve come out to since Tifa. I’ve always suspected Angeal picked up on it a while back, but I’ve never said anything to him.

 

Zack turns to me, and his hand comes up to frame one side of my face. Much to my shock and confusion, the other boy starts crying, the tears rolling freely down his face before he laughs, apparently overjoyed.

 

“ _Cloud_ …. I am too!”

 

It takes less than a full three seconds for me to start crying with him. It’s less sobs and more tears, both of us immediately embracing after our words to each other sink in and really get processed. I cling to him tighter than I had ever clung to anyone, burying my face in his neck, my hands digging into the fabric of his clothes as the stress, the overwhelming anxiety of the prior moments fade into the most wonderful sensation I had ever experienced.

 

“Oh… my god, Zack, I t-thought… I thought I was _alone_ ,” I whisper, not sure what else to say. “I thought I would ne-never f-find someone w-who understands…!”

 

“Me too, man,” Zack murmurs into my shoulder, pulling me tight against him, “but it’s okay. You’re not alone, you never have been. I’m here for you, I’m… I’m here….”


End file.
